Rotary water-meter



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. BALL.

ROTARY WATER METER.

No. 521,493. Y PatentedJune 19,1894.

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(N0-Mdem l 2 sheets-sheet 2.

vR. BALL. ROTARY WATER MRTRR. No. 521.493. Patented JAA@ '19, 189A.

UNITED STATES PATENT `GEEICE.

PHINEI-IAS BALL, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY WATER-IVI ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,493, dated J' une 19, 1894.

Application tiled October 23, 1898. Serial No. 488.864- (NO 11105913 To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, PHINEHAS BALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Meters, of which the following, together with the accompany- 1ng drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled 1n the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

The objects of my present invention are to provide a rotary meter of simple construction and efficient operation; to improve and perfect various structural details embodied therein, and to provide 'superior means for controlling the delivery of the Huid upon the rotary piston or measuring wheel in order to lmpart thereto a motion uniformly proportioned to the quantity of fluid passing through the apparatus. vThese objects I attain by mechanism constructed and organized for operation as explained in the following description, the particular features of invention claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an exterior end elevation, and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section at line ma', of a rotary meter embodying my invention. (The upper part or register is not herein shown.) Fig. 2a is an outline of the valve. Fig."3 is a plan view, with the top-portion of the case and upper mechanism removed.y Fig. 4' is a sectional diagram showing the automatic controlling valve in elevated position, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the valve and its seat.

' Certain parts employed inthis improved meter, such as an outer casing; a revolving piston or wheel; intermediate reducing gearing; and an indicating register are, broadly considered, common vin all rotary meters; hence no special description of such parts is herein given, except in so far as such parts are specially adapted and combined in their particular relation to this invention.

In accordance with myinvention the mechanism is preferably embodied in practical form as-will now be described in detail..-v

vReferring to parts, A denotes the exterior case or body of the meter, made in suitable form and adapted for properly containing and supporting the operating parts. This case comprises an upper and lower part, in the latter of which yis located the circular wheelchamber B, and adjacent thereto an upright Valve chamber C, separated therefrom by a wall or partition through which is formed the delivery mouth D. The body is provided with the inlet a and outlet a for the iluid or gas to enter and pass from the meter; said inlet communicating with the valve-chamber C and the outlet communicating with the wheel-chamber B. The upper part A of the case includes a chamber for the reducing gearing E, and has an extension that closes the top of the valve-chamber. The two parts of the case are connected by bolts or screws in well known manner. The bed-plate E of the reducing gear-train forms a cap for `the Wheel-chamber B. An auxiliary chamber or hollowed cavity B2 is formed at the bottom of the wheel-chamber having an inwardly directed horizontal annular bridge or border ange b concentric with the wheel circle and turned level on its top surface. inwardly projecting upright ribs 3 is formed on the body casting A about the chamber B as shown. ing ribs are bored or turned to an accurate circle concentric with the surface .or circle described bythe vouter limit of the wheel.

The recesses between the projecting ribs .3 serve the purpose of a complete water packing preventing small volumes of fluid passing without moving the wheel, and also limit the surface on which foreign substances can cling vto interfere with the revolution of the wheel.

.be revolved by the fluid flowing through the mouth D; Thismeasuring wheel consists of a body of hard rubber or other suitable material provided with a series of .radially projecting Vanes or floats f aboutits periphery; the ends of which van es,- as the wheel revolves, pass in close proximity to the ribs .3 formed on the interior of d the case. rlhe wheel is preferably supported on yan adjustable step 4 screwed into a post cast in the base ofthe meter-body. In this step is inserted the pin 5 on which the wheel-shaft 6 (revolves. A beveled seat of special' metal, or material which has the property of resisting wear and A series of The inner faces of these project- IOC abrasion in a high degree, sustains the pin 5 and fits the lower end of the shaft G, which is correspondingly formed. The height or relative vertical position of the wheel in the case or body can be adjusted by turning the screw step 4 in or out according to requirements in fitting up, and also to compensate for wear. A loose collar 7 is preferably arranged at the top of the wheel-shaft, fitting the bearing in the plate E; said collar being free to rotate in the bearing or the shaft to rotate inthe collar, thus avoiding liability of sticking or interfering with the free action of the wheel. The wheel-shaft is best made with an internal chamber 8 for containing fine plumbago or other suitable lubricant for the bearing step et and pivot 5. A small passage 9 is formed thereinto for the admission of fluid to the chamber to cause the lubricant to settle as fast as required. A pinion attached to the wheel-shaft gears into the first wheel of the intermediate reducing train for transmitting the motion of the wheel B to the register in well known manner.

The valvechamber C is of cylindrical form for containing the vertically movable valve controlling the mouth D, through which the fluid passes `to the wheel-chamber. The inner surface of the valvechamber is preferably formed with a series of upright ribs c and a horizontal annular bridge c2 separates the upper and lower part of the chamber, and their inner surfaces are accurately bored or formed to match the cylinder of the valve; which fits the bored or milled surface between the recesses, and in which surface the mouth D is located. In any instance, if desired, thechamber may be formedwith a plain cylindrical innersurface, the recesses being omitted.

in my presentimprovement a single mouth Dis used of a definite size controlled automatically by the gravity valve hereinafter described. The location and direction of` the` This mouth are indicated in Figs. 3 and 5. mouthisproportioned in size tothe quantity of water measured by. the meter, and hence its sizeis varied asV the size of the meter varies, the position and direction of the mouthin the body are such as will givea uniform direction .0f the current passing therethrough, and afford the most effective impact of the current uponthe vanesof the measuring-wheel. Itis formed with reference to directingor guiding the fiuid to impinge upon the vanes of the wheelinzone constant path, whetherthe flow is in large orsmall stream. This feature is important as it eects proportional uniformity of action in the movement of the meter. By theuseofa proper teinplet the drilling and forming of the mouth can-in practice beeffected with uniformity, as tothe size and direction, inthe `various-meters.

The valve Iy is madelin the form indicated,

as a cylindricalbody with a vertical axis, and

of definite weight; thatis, not subject teva# riation in its resistance; its upper portion or head fitting the valve-chamber with a goed l the inlet chamber.

working fit, sufficiently free to move easily up and down; the design being not to have too much space around it to occasion leakage, but enough to maintain easy and free working for a long time in practical use. Tne lower part I of the valve is best made of less diameter than the upper part or head. The valve has a narrow annular groove J extending around it horizontally near the lower part of its head, which groove serves as a port to the mouth D. 'lhe height of the valve body is such that the groove J will not fall below the lower edge of the mouth when the lower end of the valve rests upon the stop 12 at the bottom of the valve-chamber, as when in its depressed or inactive position. provides a port always open, and when forming the` smallest port with the mouth its opening is such that the smallest stream of fiuid passing through the mouth must acquire a velocity sufficient to move the wheel F. It also serves as a means of draining the service pipes and meter, toprevent freezing or in case of needed repairs, when the service is shut off at the inlet:` head. Suitable openings or ports n are formed vertically through the flange QI of the valve below the `annular groove J; the object of these ports being to'alford passage for the fluid from the inlet-chamber into the annular groove and gthroughthe mouth passage, when the valvehead is surrounded by thebody shell at its closed position, so that sufficient fluid is passed through the ports and the mouth, and with sufficient velocity to cause rotary movement of the measuringwheel. 'Ilhe recesses c mayin some instances be made to serve for admitting fluid into the groove J from The valveis preferably hollow or formed with a cavity m to` facilitate the adjustment of its weight by adding shot or-other substanceswithin said cavity to the desired degree; which substance may then be fixed inplace by melted sealing wax or other xative poured into the hollow.

A small port or aperture 10 is made through IIO the wall or partitionfrom the upper part of l `or permittedto escape throughthe aperture `10, so that the valve can freely. perform its designed action in manner-as setforth. The ribs c keep thealignment of thevalve in its up and down movement,and the recesses c' between the ribs reduce the surface exposed to the valve where matterorsubstances1of` various kinds can Wedge inandimpede` the proper movement of the-valve; The cavity or auxiliary sub-chamber B2 with the inwardly projecting ledge bat the bottom levcllof said steady movement; giving a more accurate measurement under varying quantities of delivery; and insures greater uniformity and reliability in the operation of the meter. The ledge b extends under the vanesfnearly to the face of the cylindrical body of the wheel and deliects therefrom currents that might otherwise tend to interfere with the proper wheel action.

In the operation, the valve is raised responsive to the flowage, it being actuated wholly bythe inlet pressure of the iiuid and thus automatically controls the delivery mouth passage by reason of the side of the valve head sliding past the mouth D and thereby increasing or reducing the opening causing the measuring-Wheel to act with and proportionally to the quantity of fluid delivered. Vhen a large quantity of fluid is called for, by free opening of the exit the increase or variation of pressure will lift or force the valve higher in the chamber, (as in Fig. 4) uncovering a greater portion of the mouth l) and givingy more delivery. The mouth being thus opened and closed by the automatic rise and fall of the valve, proportionally with the variation of pressures'in the Wheel-chamber, as compared with that in the inlet-chamber, regulates the current so as to giveaforceful flow for lthe fluid that will cause the measuringwheel F to rotate in unison therewith and move the register mechanism to adegree corresponding to the quantity of fluid passing through the meter. When all service pipes are closed the valve falls within the chamber until it rests on the stop l2 in the position shown on Fig. 2. l v v The valves I are made of uniform weight for a given size of meter, and vary in size proportionall y as the size of the meter varies; or as the area of the valve-chamberl is made larger or smaller. This construction of the valve with the grooveinsures a small section of the mouth always open as a delivery port, hence if the valve should stick an open port would result at any vertical position, andv insure constant delivery of fluid.

What I claim,.and desire to secure by Let- 1. In a rotary meter, the body-casing provided with the upright valve-chamber and a WheeLchamber, inlet and outlet passages respectively` communicating with said cham bers, and a definite delivery-mouth between said chambers disposed for directing the current of fluid upon the wheel, in the manner set forth, in combination with the rotatable measuring-wheel, comprising thecentral body having a series of radial varies; and the verl tically-movable unattachedrvalve of invariable Weight/ disposed within said valve-chainber, its cylindrical head acting as a cut-off across said mouth and 'operating-by gravity andthe forcevof the inlet fluid, as set'forth.

2. In combination, the body-casing, the register-operating gearing, the measuring-Wheel consisting of a central body with projecting radial wings rotating on a vertical axis within the wheelchamber, the upright inletvalve-chamber having the definite mouth for delivering the fluidv therefrom upon said Wheel, the vertically moving gravity valve fitting Within said valve-chainber and sliding as a cut-off across said mouth, for increasing or diminishing its passage automatically, as the flowage is increased or diminished, said valve having an annular pass-way-groove therein which partially uncovers said delivery mouth when the valve is depressed, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a rotary meter, in combination with the body casing provided with the wheelchamber, the valve-chamber and the delivery mouth arranged in the side thereof for directing the impelling current; of an automatic controlling valve having a narrow circumferential groove about its cylindrical face, that aligns with and partially uncovers said delivery mouth when the valve is depressed or at inactive position, as set forth.

4. In a rotary meter, as described, the me ter casing containing the Wheel-chamber and the inlet or valve-chamberhavingthe definite mouth for directing the'fluid upon the measuring wheel and provided with a small aperture or opening from the upper part of said ,valvechamber to the outlet or wheel-chamber, in combination with the measuring wheel, thegravity-valve of definite weight for controlling said mouth, having a narrow annular groove around the lower part of its head, and a dependent end or stop that arrests downward action of the valve while its groove is in conjunction with the mouth, all substantially as set forth.

5. The gravity-valve having the annular groove formed around its seating head and provided with a series of vertical ports lead ing from the under side of the head intosaid groove, as set forth, in combination with the upright inlet-chamber, the .delivery mouth controlled by said valve, and the rotary measuring-wheel in a fluid meter, for the purpose set forth. f

6. In a rotary meter, the meter casing hav ing its wheel-chamber B, provided with the bottom-cavity or sub-chamber B2 opening into said wheel -chamber, and the annular .inwardly-projecting flange or ledge b partially separating said chambers; in combination with the rotatable wheel F disposed within ICO 'IIO

said wheel-chamber with itsvvanes extending s Over said ledge, substantially 'as and for the purpose set forth. A

7,.,In a fluid meter having an operating wheel or fan, and a fixed mouth for directing the Huid upon said wheel, the combination Y Vribs c, annular bridge c2 'with cylindrically turned inner surface and foot stop 12, and an;

automatically actuated valve, Iitsheadflitted to said inner surface and moving` across said mouth toV open or close its passagdsaidvaive having its lower end adapted for resting upon said stop when the valve is inactive or de-` 5 pressed to its lowest; position, for the purposes set forth.

8. The meter body or oasinginternaliy pro` vided with narrow inwardly projecting ribs 3f in combination with the measuring wheel ro having outwardly projecting vanesji'the ends of'whieh matchin circle and eontourutheinner faces of saidribsl audfpassfwithout contact, inadjaoent'proximity tosaid ribs as the wheel rotates, for thepurposeset` forth.

Witness my hand this 18th day of October, 15

PHINEIIAS BALL. Witnesses:

CHAS. II. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUS. 

